The Wigamalefis part 13:
Plans
A No More Fakes Story
(Monday, January 6)
It's been about a week since the last time I saw Kerry. More
specifically I haven't seen what Kerry had changed into. I've been
thinking about how to fix Project F, but I don't even know why it did what
it did to begin with. That's why I'm here at the pond early in the
morning. I have to go to work in a few hours, but a nice relaxing swim
would be helpful after all those long nights I've put into Project F.
I dove into the icy water of the pond. When I was human, I would
never think about swimming in freezing water. Now, that I am a
wigamalefis, it doesn't bother me. My coat of blue fur has grown thicker
in the past few weeks, so the temperature doesn't bother me. I swam to
the bottom and lay there gazing up at the sky through the clear water
surface. That's another thing I couldn't do as a human. I could only
hold my breath for about a minute. Now, I can hold it for thirty minutes.
All these memories of my human past make it so hard to comprehend how I
was ever a wigamalefis. That strange feeling came.
I just lay there not thinking about anything. It seemed hopeless
to fix Project F. And even if I did, finding the orange skinned creature
that Kerry became seemed impossible. I hoped I wouldn't fall asleep
relaxing here. I remember when my uncle back on my home world almost
drowned because he fell asleep in the water. All these memories of my
wigamalefi past makes it so hard to comprehend how I was ever human.
I felt the need for air, so I swam to the surface. I climbed out
of the pond and dried off with the many towels I brought. That's one
thing about these humans. Their towels don't absorb enough water. Then
again they don't have fur. After getting dry, I headed back to my house.
I took a shower to wash the pond water out of my fur when I got
home. Then I got dressed for work and ate breakfast. I watched the news
a little. It didn't have anything I was interested in. The Raucous
Chicken incident has died down in the past month.
Work went as normal. We were pretty much finished with the live
video and putting the computer effects with it. Now we just had to get it
incorporated into the game. Lance was glad the filming was over with.
Since we didn't have to make a computer generated dragon, the dragon
played a larger part in the plot. That was fine with Lance in the
beginning, but then he had to work long hours.
I was sitting at my desk working on some of the interface layout,
when Mr. Dodsen stopped by.
"Will," he said. He finally got the hint that I wanted to be
called the name I went by as a human. "how would you like to go to a
convention?"
I grunted in surprise. I grabbed my notepad and scribbled,
"Convention? Really?"
"Yes. There is a computer graphic convention next week in
Memphis, TN. Since you are in charge of this new game, I thought you
should go."
"I'd love to," I wrote.
"Good. Lance, Judy, and Chris are going, too," he said. "I have
a flight booked for four to Memphis already. It leaves next Sunday.
Here's the material they send out about it. There's a schedule in there
somewhere." He handed me some pamphlets and brochures.
"Thanks," I said.
--------
When I got home, I couldn't wait to call Sandy to tell her. I
picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello?" Sandy asked on the other end.
I grunted.
"Will? What is it? Do you want me to come over?" she asked.
I grunted affirmatively. We had worked out a system earlier.
"I'll be over there in a minute," she said and hung up.
There was a knock at the door. Surely Sandy hadn't arrived that
soon. I answered it. A familiar looking lady was there.
"Mr. Harryman. I am Dr. Meyer. I spoke with you the day after
you changed," she said.
I nodded.
"I need to talk with you. May I come in?"
I motioned for her to enter. We sat down in the living room.
"Now, Mr. Harryman, it has come to my attention that you still
switch identities," she began.
"I assume so," I signed. I remember that she knew sign language.
"I don't remember switching, but I might have seen some evidence that
proves it."
"I see. What you need is some hard evidence. That's why I
brought this." She opened her briefcase and pulled out a small video
camera. "I'm going to video tape you. I'll just ask some questions.
When I notice that you have switched I'll replay the tape. That way you
can see what was really happening. Is that OK?"
I nodded. Dr. Meyer sat up the camera and pressed record. "Let's
begin. What is your name?"
"Wiggy," I signed.
She jotted some stuff on a notepad. "Is that what you always
remember your name being?"
"Yes."
"Wiggy, what happened at the Raucous Chicken last Halloween?"
"I was changed into this. I know that I was really a costume in
Will's mind," I signed.
"That's good. Now, when did you realize this?"
"About a week after I changed."
"But, what do you actually remember happening at the party?"
"I went in my human costume who I called Will. When everybody
else changed, my costume disappeared," I signed.
"Do you have any memories of being Will?"
"No," I signed. That strange feeling came.
"So, you've always have been Wiggy?"
"No, I've always been Will," I signed.
"Okay. Let's go over the questions again. What is your name?" she
said looking back at her pad.
"Will," I signed.
"Is that what you always remember your name being?"
"Yes."
"What do you remember happening at the Raucous Chicken last
Halloween?"
"I went in my wigamalefis costume. Then I became a real
wigamalefis," I signed and pointed at myself. "But, I do know that I'm
really supposed to be Wiggy. How I ended up here, I'm not sure."
"Do you have any memories of being Wiggy?"
"No," I signed. That strange feeling came.
"Good. Now, let's view the tape," she said and stopped the
recorder. I hooked it up to the TV. She pressed play after rewinding the
tape.
I watched. The first part of the conversation was exactly as I
remember it. The second was all wrong. I remember answering the
questions the second time. But, I thought I answered them the same. I
had switched to thinking I was Will and didn't even realize it.
"Now, do you see? You are switching identities," she said
stopping the tape. "What do you remember saying?"
"I thought I answered the same both times," I signed. "Oh, man.
What am I going to do?" I grunted in wigamalefish.
"What did you say? I don't understand your grunts, remember," Dr.
Meyer said.
"Nothing," I signed.
"You don't have too much to worry about. You aren't switching
personalities, just perceptions of yourself. Just try to remember who you
really are. You remember the exercise I told you?" she asked.
I nodded. "But, who am I really?"
"You are Will Harryman."
"Just as I thought," I thought. "I was right all along," I
signed.
"That you were," she said looking at her notes. "Well, Wiggy was
right. Will thinks that you are really Wiggy. Just remember that you are
Will."
I nodded.
"If I were you, I would write it down," she said. There was a
beep. Dr. Meyer looked at her pager. "Do you mind if I use your phone?"
I motioned for her to use it. I disconnected the video camera
from the TV and placed it near her briefcase.
"I'm sorry," she said after hanging up the phone, "but I'm
needed." She placed the video camera in her briefcase and walked to the
door.
"Thanks for your help, Dr. Meyer," I signed.
"Just remember who you are," she said and rushed out the door.
That strange feeling came. I watched her pull out of the
driveway. "Oh yeah, I need to write that down," I grunted to myself. I
quickly picked up my notepad and jotted down the message to myself.
"Remember you are really Wiggy."
To Be Continued......